Holdback-hook.



IRA. D. OADY, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

HOLDBACK-HO0K.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 6, 1909.

Application filed February 2, 1909. Serial No. 475,597.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IRA D. CADY, of Minneapolis, lilennepin county, Minnesota, h ave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Holdbaclellooks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to shaft hold-back. hooks, to which the breaching strap is attached and the object of my invention is to provide a honk device, which is capable of separation from the shaft and is adapted to be easily and quickly attached. thereto in harnr-zssing a horse.

A further obj cot is to provide a hold-back that is capable of ready separationv from the shaft, but cannot possibly become accidentally detached. therefrom while the device is in use.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the followin detailed description.

The invention consists generally in a hensin having means for securing it to a shaft, and a loop adapted. to be attached to a breeching strap and having a hook member arranged. to enter said housing and be temporarily locked therein.

Further, the invention consists in a peculiar construction of hook, which will resist backward pull thereon, but be readily separated from the housing, when a forward pull is exerted. on the hook.

Further, the invention consists in various constructions and combinations, all as hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure l is a side view of a portion of a shaft, with my improved hold-baok hook applied thereto, Fig. 2 is a bottom view, illustrating the manner of pulling the hook out of its housing or socket, when a forward pull is applied thereto, Fig. 3 is a detail, sectional view, illustrating the spring device within the housing for holding the hook in position to resist a back ward pull of the breeching strap.

In the drawing, 2 represents a shaft, 3 a breeching strap and 4 a plate having means for securing it, preferably to the under side of a shaft. lVithin this plate is a chamber 5, inclosing a U-sha ed spring 6. A slot 7 is formed in one wal of the housing and a loop 8 is attached to the breaching strap and has a curved part 9, that is adapted to slip through the slot 7 and is provided with a rounding surface 10 to contact with the spring 6. The part 9 is shaped somewhat in the form of a shoe, the toe thereof bearing on the spring 6 and the heel having a square surface 11, which contacts with the rear edge of the slot 7 when a backward pull is exerted on the loop portion 8 through the breaching strap 3. A compression spring 12 is provided between the ends of the spring 6, to resist the pressure on the spring and con.- tacting with the toe of the part 9, and to hold its rear edge 11 in engagement with the edge of the slot 7. As long therefore, as pressure is applied to this too, it will be impossible for any strain on the breeching strap to withdraw the device from its socket, but as soon. as a forward pull is exerted on the loop 8, the toe of the part 9 will be forced inwardly and the said part rotated slightly in its socket until the heel 11 is pulled away from contact with the rear edge of the slot 7. Thus, it will be very easy to unhitch a horse as soon as the traces or tugs are released. In fact, in practice, it will not be necessary to apply the hands to the hold-back hooks, but after unhooking the tugs from the swingletree, the horse can walk out of the shaft and the holdback hooks swinging forward, will automatically be disengaged from their connections with the shaft.

I refer to arrange the loop 8 with respect to t 1e art 9, as indicated in Fig. 1., so that the ull of the breeching strap will be applies more evenly to the loops.

This device, it will be noted, is extremely simple in construction, has no small, intricate parts to get out of order and can be easily applied to any make of shaft.

I claim as my invention:

The combination, with shaft, of a housing mounted thereon, a U-shaped spring provided within said housing, a coil spring arranged between the ends of said U-shaped spring, said housing having a slot in its wall, a loop adapted to be connected to the breeching strap and having a shoe fitting within the slot in said wall and rovided with a curved surface to contact with said U-shaped spring, said shoe also having a square edge adapted to contact with the wall at the back end of said slot, said shoe edge resisting backward pull of said breeching strap on In witness whereof, I have hereunto set said shoe, and said U-shaped spring being my hand this 19th day of January 1909. compressed by a forward pull on said shoe IRA D OADY and allowing said shoe to be drawn forward out of said slot and. against the tension of Witnesses:

said compressed spring substantially as de- LOUIS L. VROMAN,

scribed. J. A. BYINGTON. 

